Saturday, April 29, 2017

The Simplest ever Honey and Date Biscuits for Afternoon Tea

Honey and Date Biscuits



We drove home  from Cairns on Wednesday, a long 10 hour drive because of all the road works and the trucks, and it is such a relief to be home. Considering Mackay also suffered the onslaught from Cyclone Debbie, our garden looked in tact thanks to the support of our friends and neighbours, and our house was surprisingly free of mould and dust inside. I placed lots of DampRid containers in the cupboards before we left and I think that helped to keep the cupboards fresh and mould free, which can be a problem during wet weather here in the Tropics.

 However driving past Bowen and through Prosperpine, it looked like a war zone.  Trees denuded of foliage, road signs partially pulled out of the ground and at awkward angles with the road,  and houses in various states of disrepair. I believe it is even worse around Airlie Beach. I really feel for all of those people who are still coping with the lodgement of insurance claims and trying to get their homes and lives back in order.

I know I am happily at home when the baking starts and there are fresh flowers in the house. The heavy rain from Cyclone Debbie has resulted in a beautiful flush of tropical flowers in the garden , so it was lovely to have Heliconias and Ixoras to  pick and bring inside.



I saw this biscuit recipe on my friend Garrick's Facebook page the other day, I used to work with him, and I had to try it. Biscuit recipes need to be quick and easy and are often cooked on the go with short notice, as everyone is eagerly  waiting for morning or afternoon tea and time is at a premium.

These biscuits are just processed very quickly in the Food Processor. Our daughter Shannon came home with us for a holiday and thinks they are delicious. To be honest she is probably the main reason I made them, as it is always a really nice feeling to cook for my family and she really appreciates homemade food. Shannon is a great judge of good cakes and biscuits so I am happy to pass this recipe on.

Honey and date biscuits

Made on the trot for afternoon tea. Simplest recipe going. (Garrick)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain flour
2 cups oatmeal or muesli (I used Rolled Oats)
8 dates (chopped and stones removed)
1 egg
4 tblspns honey
100g oil
(1/2 cup nuts optional. I used shelled pistachios this time)

Let's cook:

Process quickly all ingredients at once in the Food processor. Place heaped teaspoons full on a baking tray lined with baking paper. 150C (fan) 180C (normal oven) 12-15 mins. Makes 18.

I dusted mine with a light sprinkling of icing sugar, just for presentation.

When we were outside in the courtyard  enjoying our afternoon tea and the biscuits,  Lorikeets were frollicking in our bird bath. They are such beautiful birds to watch, very noisy though. At the moment, they must think they are in heaven or a five star restaurant, as in our back yard they have three trees in flower to choose from. The very old Melaleuca Paperbark, the Golden Penda, and the New Guinea Bottlebrush. It is hilarious and entertaining to watch them flitting from tree to tree and squabbling as they go, and then stopping for drinks at the birdbath. Even our resident  birds are  foodies, ha, ha.





Thanks for  visiting and have  a nice weekend.

If you  make these biscuits or do something different with the recipe,  please  send me a comment.  I'd love to  know  what  you  think   of them.

Best wishes
Pauline


1 comment:

  1. Aren't the birds beautiful, Pauline? They got into a fruit tree of ours one morning and hardly left anything for us. I couldn't believe the noise they made in the process. I probably won't make the biscuits as I rarely bake other than sourdough but they do sound quick and easy.

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